Food Bank Serves Residents In Need

The Richland County Food Bank seeks to serve Richland County residents who for whatever reason find themselves in need of emergency food. The Food Bank actively seeks to keep its shelves stocked with non-perishable food items and to give that food out to individuals or families when unexpected emergencies arise.

The task of keeping a variety of food available never comes easily. Thanks to the recent postal drive, the Food Bank received over 1521 pounds of food for redistribution. However, the organization also distributed food to 87 adults and 87 children during the month of April, giving those individuals 5800 pounds of food, so the need to actively replenish stocks never ends.

The Food Bank, run entirely by volunteers, always seeks donations of food or money from the public. "Our shelves are currently somewhat adequately stocked," says Food Bank volunteer Gloria Yockim. "However, items like peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit, and soup are really hard to keep on the shelves. We gave out over 5800 pounds of food last month and if this continues, we'll be facing some severe shortages."

The Food Bank accepts donations of money, non-perishable food items, and in season, donations of fresh garden vegetables. With the arrival of gardening season, citizens are encouraged to remember the Food Bank when faced with abundant garden surpluses. "We will take garden produce," Yockim remarks. "We truly do appreciate all of those who donate any sort of canned food, money, or garden vegetables. Individuals have been a great help, and stores have really been helpful by donating cans of food that have been dented in transit. We are very grateful for the help, for the time people take to bring us food, and for the donations themselves."

Those who wish to donate food items, money, or garden surplus can contact the Food Bank at 433-8142 and leave a message if no one answers. A volunteer will return the call and set up an appointment for the delivery of donated food.

"We are all volunteers here, so there may be no one available to answer the phone when a person calls," Yockim comments. "If no one answers, please leave a message and we will get back to you. There is a lot of time involved and we do the best we can."

Remember that in spite of the oil boom, some people in Richland County have need of emergency food. Those who have time to spare are welcome to volunteer at the Food Bank; those who have cash to spare can make monetary donations, and those who have extra canned goods or who find they have an abundant garden can share their bounty with others by donating it to the Richland County Food Bank.